Family, Title Dream Driving Milestone Cam

Cam Gliddon entered the NBL in 2012 as a happy-go-lucky fella from Bunbury, Western Australia on the back of a college career at Concordia University.

On Thursday night at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, the 31-year-old will run out for his 250^th NBL game in front of his wife Sarah and young daughter Penny with his new South East Melbourne Phoenix teammates.

Gliddon played 171 games for Cairns and 56 for Brisbane before joining the Phoenix this season.

He has already achieved a career most hoopers could only dream of; eight NBL seasons; member of the talented 2019 Boomers World Cup squad; and gold medal winner at the FIBA Asia Cup and Commonwealth Games.

(Cam's wife Sarah and daughter Penny give the Phoenix star balance off the court and a retreat from the pressures of professional sport)

The sharpshooter is enjoying a stellar season for the third-placed Phoenix, ranking in the league’s top three for steals and top four for three-pointers as the team’s starting shooting guard.

The secret to his success? His growing family.

“It’s obviously a little different. When I first got to the league in Cairns, I had older teammates who had kids and obviously that was so far away for me and something I didn’t really think about,” Gliddon said.

“It’s awesome that Penny gets to come to the games and watch me and I’m definitely at a different part of my life now. I wouldn’t change it for anything.

“It makes the losses way easier and the wins way better after the game being with the wife and daughter. You come off a loss and they level you out and make you feel good and you come off a win and you come home and things are even better.

“I’m happy to be chalking up 250 with the Phoenix and with Sarah and Penny. I didn’t think (250) was going to happen but I’m glad it is.”

His second kid, a baby boy, is due to enter the world mid-year and add to a growing Gliddon cheersquad at Phoenix games around the country.

“I’m looking forward to that and having a boy and a girl, it’s going to be awesome.”

(Cam is well aware of where his biggest supporters are sitting on game day)

Ryan Broekhoff’s arrival last month was an obvious on-court coup for the team but one even more valuable for Gliddon and his family.

Yes, Broekhoff’s elite perimeter shooting allows Cam even more time and space to do his thing and creates a formidable combination on the wing.

But it’s the introduction of Ryan's young son to the off-court mix that has the milestone man even happier.

“It’s been good to have someone else that I can hang out with and just let the kids roam,” Gliddon said.

(Ryan's son and Cam's daughter at the beach in Wollongong during the team's road trip)

“Penny needs a bit of time with other kids because of covid, she lacks that time with other kids her own age being able to play…when Rowdy came in we chatted and he said his boy’s 21 months and my daughter’s 18 months which is good, they can play and be on the same level.”

As much as his focus is on his young family, Gliddon’s other driving force is the chase for an elusive NBL title.

In the 2014-15 season, he captained the Taipans to a first-place finish and endured a heartbreaking buzzer beater defeat in game two of the NBL Grand Final series.

With the talent and synergy on the current Phoenix roster, this year may be Gliddon’s best chance to achieve the ultimate success since that night.

“When I first came in to the league, it was just making sure I played well and did my job well enough that I could hang around for a long time,” he said.

“Then it got to when I solidified my spot and it was time to try build towards that title and do my best for the team to make that happen.

(It's been a perfect match between Cam and the Phoenix)

“Now that’s all I think about, ‘are we winning?’. I’ve had some games where I’ve been horrible but we won and I’m stoked and I’ve had some games where I’ve played really well and we’ve lost and I’m shattered.

“Mentally you know when that happens you’re in it for the wins and to get to that title game.”

But he knows it won’t be easy for the rising Phoenix, especially competing with powerhouses Melbourne and Perth.

“It’s hard to win titles. If you haven’t played for Perth or Melbourne in the last few years, you haven’t got one. It’s tough to do.

“I think we’ve got a great team this year, very well rounded and deep enough to be able to do it. But we are still young, still learning. We have games where we’re thinking ‘where are we at?’ and then we have games where we set the world on fire and we’re the best team out there.

“We’ve still got games left to gather that consistency and build that strength as a team. I think we can do it but we’ve got a few more building blocks we need to get over before we can truly say we’re battle tested and ready.

“I think we’ve got the pieces to do it, it’s just a matter of putting it all together.”

It’s been a wild ride for the kid from Bunbury and one that could well have the best yet to come.

“I’d love to give a huge thanks to Cairns, Brisbane and South East Melbourne for giving me amazing opportunities and also to my family, Sarah and Sarah’s family for supporting me through it all.”

Sam Bunn for Phoenix Media (15/04/2021)